Chapter 1

A Chapter by Brooklyn

My dirty-blonde hair morphs into short thick fur. Black spots appear on my body. My teeth point into fangs and my eyes narrow into vertical slits. I lean down onto all for paws and flex my feline muscles. Yes, you heard me right. I said feline muscles. That would be because I had turned into a leopard.

You might wonder how that is even possible. I wonder right with you. Yes, even I don’t know what I am or how this is possible. All I know is that it is possible and I want to know if there are others like me. That is the reason I’m braking out. Well, one of the reasons.

Wait a moment I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to basics. My name is Leesha Jones. I am fifteen years old, and as I’ve mentioned, I can turn into a leopard. My parents sent me to a boarding school that’s more like a prison last year “for my own good.” Bottom line is: someone found out about me so the had to send me away to protect me. It sounds like they were doing the right thing, and I know in their hearts they were trying to help, but it didn’t help at all. It’s like they were punishing me for something I was born with.

How did someone find out you may ask? That was entirely my fault. I was careless, but in my defense a secret is hard to keep. All I wanted was someone to trust, to rely on for once. None of my friends knew what I was. No one outside of my family knew what I was. So I told someone, someone I thought I could trust. It turns out I couldn’t even trust my best friend. He told my secret as soon as he got a chance. Of course, no one believed him. They all thought he was crazy and he had no proof to tell them other wise. He couldn’t force me to change into a leopard. Poor guy, he probably still scared that I will track him down and eat him for telling people. As much as I hate him, I don’t eat people. I’m not a cannibal.

Anyway I am braking out of the prison. Bad news: the only exit was through the front office. Good news: I chose to brake out at night like any sane person would have done. More bad news: I had to get past a state of the art security system complete with those sensor laser thingies, a security camera, and night guards. Great. This is really my night. Not.

Of course your wondering why I don’t just stroll through the lasers, ignore the security camera, and scare the guards. After all, who would mess with a leopard, right? I’ll tell you why:

1.) The guards had guns.

2.) No one knew I could turn into a leopard and I’d like to keep it that way, thank you very much.

3.) I rather not have animal control after me.

So, the stealthy way it is. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me that thinks that it was the obvious choice. There were a group of shelves with files on them over near the door. The shelves are about ten feet in front of me and about five feet up. Easy. For leopard me, anyway.

My plan is simple. I will jump onto the shelves and knock some of the files over causing a distraction for the guards then sneak out the door before they notice.

I backed up a few feet and took a running start. I push off the ground with exact timing and, Whoosh!, I land on the shelves without a sound. Now for the distraction. With a swipe of my front paw a pile of files fall to the floor with a noisy flutter. The guards ran in and I jumped out the door. I looked back to make shore they were busy and happened to glance at the files. Files of…me.

My mind spins as they clean up the files. Out of the corner of my eye I see a picture of a leopard lounging on a purple covered, king-sized bed. I was so careful! How�"I think I’m going to be sick.

A shout brings me to the present. I have to get out of there. If I was lucky they only saw a glimpse of me and think their eyes are playing tricks on them. But, I don’t have the best luck in the world. I thought that then.

I run across the grounds I run into the woods surrounding the school. Dark, lanky trees rush by me as I run. The moon is full, I have that to be thankful for, anyway. The chances of me tripping, even in the more graceful cat form, are very high in the dark.

The whole scene is eerie, the still ness of the wood despite the danger I could be in. The imposing trees and the full moon intensify to the effect.

The energy that I could have sworn was there a second ago, had vanished completely, Leaving me panting. I really need to start exercising more. I’m miles away from the school now. Thank God for leopard speed. But I’m so tired.

I collapse in a heap on the forest floor. My eyes close against my will.

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